<p>This is a very educational thread. I’m hoping to learn something about air conditioning units here, shortly. Most of the units we have in the house are berserk. They can blow warm air, or arctic frost- can’t possibly hold the same temperature that is set on the hand held thermostat.</p>
<p>Any ideas?</p>
<p>jmmom, if it wasn’t too ugly with a burned out bulb, I’d reinstall the cool light fixture as is. Finally, when too many of them died, I’d buy a new fixture. On the positive side, you might figure it out by then. At least it won’t be on the floor. </p>
<p>Likewise, I’m thinking that when we get enough water in the basement to need boots, we should just follow the ways of nomadic tribes and move. That or add fish…voila! indoor water feature! :D</p>
<p>My most recent plumbing story: Last Friday morning DW notifies me that the water heater is leaking all over the garage. (No surprise - our house is 16 years old, and the appliances have been going one by one.) Call around - Home Depot will replace our heater that day with a new one for cost of heater plus $300 - total of about $800. Great - bring 'em on! With a teenage daughter, gotta have hot water. (Did I mention that we’re in the middle of master bath renovation and we’re all sharing one bathroom?) </p>
<p>Of course, when the guy shows up, (not a Home Depot guy, a local contractor who works with them) the heater won’t fit - it’s 2" too tall. So he’s willing to sell me a different one - and by the way, our earthquake restraining straps need replacing, we “need” a pan under the heater, etc. By the time he’s done, it’s a $1600 job - and he can do it Monday. Saturday I went to Sears, got a heater that was the same height as the old one, and installed it myself. (I did get new straps and a pan, though - for 1/4 the cost he quoted me.) Total cost $500 - and most of a Saturday. I installed the new shower hardware in our bathroom and took a hot shower Saturday night. Aaaaah. </p>
<p>After that exotic weekend, I took it up a notch this week: installing two new sinks in the master bath. Oooh-la-la! Eat your hearts out.</p>
<p>Oh kluge! You are my hero!</p>
<p>edad: Well Written!</p>
<p>BB: we’ve been agonizing over college admissions enough. Don’t we get a break over the weekend to worry about plumbing and electrical repairs? :)</p>
<p>kluge: My hero too! Where were you when the plumber we called last time we had an emergency on a weekend charged us an arm and a leg, then said he “couldn’t guarantee” the work as it might be something else? I had it out with the boss about his flunkies not communicating with the customers BEFORE they did the work. Grrr…</p>
<p>jmmom</p>
<p>Install track lighting to shine on the beautiful pendants. I’m about to order what sounds like a similar thing–very beautiful. Am I a fool?</p>
<p>In our household, we consider most plumbing problems to be an opportunity to redistribute wealth.</p>
<p>Our front hall fixtures are rather…ugly, in a 1982 faux-traditional way. And they take up too much space in that some unwary visitor is always hitting one of them when they put a jacket on too vigorously!</p>
<p>Given a budget for this, I would get replacements that sit closer to the ceiling and take economical fluorescents.</p>
<p>After Kluge’s story I’m starting to feel like my little toilet story isn’t that impressive (although we were looking at new low-profile Kohlers and ended up spending $0 instead of $many hundred). Would I get an extra point by announcing that I’ve ordered a new Energy Star Craftsman-style porch light?</p>
<p>When our water heater died, I did end up paying $1,200 for the heater and installation, including a whole-house pressure regulator. Our water pressure was 95psi and the installation tech said the warranty was void at that level. Ka-ching. Now our water pressure is 60psi and our shower is less invigorating than it used to be. He did install real earthquake straps to replace the single strip of plumber’s tape held on by two 8d nails.</p>
<p>Nah. Kluge wins.</p>
<p>jmmom: Remember when light bulbs said “GE” on the side and the only decision to make was “60, 75 or 100 watts”?</p>
<p>Ah kluge, you have all us girls batting our eyelashes.</p>
<p>lkf: good solution to fixture problem.</p>
<p>bethie: I’m teaching Marx in one of my courses. How much do you charge for guest lectures?</p>
<p>edit: Aw, WashDad, you’re still one of our guys too.</p>
<p>This post cracks me up, because while the teens are freaking about colleges, the parents are discussing leaks in toilets…</p>
<p>Edit: (I posted this without realizing that BunsenBurner had already brought up this excellent point.)</p>
<p>You got me!</p>
<p>No more complaints. Time to fix the downstairs toilet!</p>
<p>(that plunger is getting kind of yucky)</p>
<p>Porch light?</p>
<p>Ok! That too!</p>
<p>
LOL! THis is very true. However, H had completely gutted & redone this bathroom when we moved here a bit over ten years ago. So he knew all the kinks & frustrations of working on a 100+ year old house had already been faced & overcome. He thought it would be pretty straightforward, and luckily it was. I am happy to report the toilet is working fine. </p>
<p>I do appreciate handy men. One of the reasons I found H so attractive way back when was his ability to fix anything. When we met in college, he always fixed everything around my house (mom was a widow) and that certainly endeared him to her. She was able to overlook the fact that he was not tall and not Catholic. (This was almost miraculous.) The men in my family were all tall, dark, & handsome, but mechanically impaired.</p>
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<p>WashMom says that she married me because I can change a ceiling lightbulb without a ladder.</p>
<p>catsushi–You bet we are.</p>
<p>College is only 4 years, while a mildewed carpet in the basement is forever, unless you can afford to replace it.</p>
<p>Which you can’t, cause you’re broke from paying tuition. :)</p>
<p>Ah, Alberta Hunter’s great song, “I Want a Handy Man.” Hmmm. If I go any further with that, better head over to Sinner’s Alley where I can flirt with the guys without having to talk about plumbing.</p>
<p>Ever since the kids were born we’ve had Saturday as “date night” with time to talk about whatever by ourselves. Now that they’re 11 and 14 we’re finding it harder and harder to spend time together. Thought it would be the opposite! The other night we were trying to get to George Clooney’s new flick but logistics were getting more and more complicated…rounding them up in time for (just ) us to get there. H said “Whatever happenned to date night? This is tricky!” So much for weekends.</p>
<p>XD give it a couple years, then you’ll be begging them to do stuff with you.</p>
<p>My parents work from home, so we’re kinda different…sometimes I do wish I could get away from them, but for the most part my mom is my best friend. ^_^</p>
<p>
Our plumber told us we had too much water pressure in our old house, but I did love the showers. </p>
<p>I am hoping that Mathdad - who seems to have vanished - is in the upstairs bathroom doing something about the sink that is draining sllllllooooooowwwwwwllllly, but I doubt it.</p>
<p>Use some of that stuff…I can’t remember what it’s called. Drainol? My dad used it and now it’s all WHOOSHBAMEMPTY.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s a word. It’s a Kristi-ism.</p>